


Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

by Happy_Days19



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 07:37:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17341268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happy_Days19/pseuds/Happy_Days19
Summary: Sometimes sparks fly between the most unlikely people. Magic just makes everything that much more intense.(A Zadison Hogwarts AU)





	Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the Police song of the same title
> 
> Thank you so much to @therestisconfetti for being an amazing beta and for making beautiful aesthetics on Tumblr (check her out- backtobasicbellas)!

Zoe didn’t know if it was the fact that she wanted to do well in all her classes or that she just wanted to learn as much about magic as possible, but she spent a lot of time in the library. She studied hard for all her classes, and in her free time, she read all the books she could.

Though she was already in her fourth year, Zoe still couldn’t get enough of the idea of magic. She was still frequently amazed by all of the incredible things she saw and was able to perform. Being raised as a muggle, Zoe didn’t take magic for granted. She found out that her grandmother had been a witch, but her mother had been a squib and had lived in the muggle world with her family, never speaking of the magical world.

It had been a massive shock to Zoe when she had found out about her magical heritage. On the train to Hogwarts, she had been pretty quiet and withdrawn, but she had found friends when she had gotten to the school. Though they weren’t all in the same house, they had remained close over the years.

Zoe flipped another page in the book she was reading before scribbling a few more lines on the parchment that contained her transfiguration essay.

“Girl, I swear you act more like a Ravenclaw than Nan does sometimes.”

Turning her head to see her friend Queenie approach, Zoe smiled.

“Just because we’re Gryffindors doesn’t mean that we can’t get good marks,” Zoe said, setting her quill down. “Besides, Nan is just so smart she doesn’t need to study as much as me.”

“I guess you’re right, but I still think you take everything a little too seriously,” Queenie responded, dumping her bag on the table next to Zoe.

Zoe shot a look over at the blonde she had been subtly staring at for the last hour before turning all of her attention to Queenie.

“Why does Montgomery even bother coming to the library? It’s not like anything is gonna get through to that brain of hers. She’s too dumb,” Queenie asked, expression skeptical.

Okay, so maybe Zoe wasn’t as subtle as she had thought.

“She’s not that dumb,” Zoe protested, but she wasn’t sure why she was sticking up for Madison Montgomery. It’s not like they had ever really talked before. “Besides, she’s not reading school books.”

“Hmm, maybe she’s studying the dark arts. Wouldn’t surprise me.”

“Queenie!”

“What?” Queenie shrugged.

Madison loosened her green and silver tie and looked up from whatever she was reading, and Zoe had to look away quickly before Madison caught her staring.

Zoe felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. She sighed, staring down at her essay.

“What did you want, anyways?” she asked Queenie.

“It’s time for dinner. Nan told me to come get you so you wouldn’t forget what time it was.”

The grumbling of Zoe’s stomach made her realize that it was definitely time to eat.

“Oh, right. Thanks,” she said, starting to pack up all of her things.

“For being so smart, you’re pretty clueless sometimes,” Queenie chuckled.

 

* * *

 

Zoe and Queenie walked to the Great Hall together, making their way to the Gryffindor table. Zoe waved at Nan, who was seated at the Ravenclaw table.

“Did you finish the Potions essay yet?” Zoe asked Queenie while filling her plate.

“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s that great. I ran out of things to talk about, so the last few inches are really stupid.”

“At least Professor Goode is usually fair with her grading. I don’t think she’d be too mean about it.”

“You just say that because you always get good marks from her.”

“No, I don’t,” Zoe protested half-heartedly.

“Yeah, you do,” said a new voice to the conversation. Mallory was in the year under Zoe and Queenie, but Zoe liked her a lot.

“Whatever. Besides, you definitely can’t talk. Your grades are just as good as mine,” Zoe said, glaring at Mallory.

Mallory laughed, turning back to her plate.

“Are you ready for the Quidditch game this week?” Zoe asked, trying to change the subject.

Zoe and Mallory of them were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They were deep in preparation for the first Quidditch game of the year.

“Can’t wait to see it,” Queenie said. “Mallory’s gonna catch the Snitch right away.”

“What about me?” Zoe asked with fake indignation.

“You’re going to score a bunch,” Mallory said with a smile.

“Thanks, Mal. At least someone believes in me,” she said, shooting Queenie a look.

“Hey, I believe in you too,” Queenie said between bites. “It’s just a given that you’re going to do well, so I don’t have to say it.”

“Oh, shut it,” Zoe sighed, giving Queenie a playful push.

Mallory and Zoe spent the rest of the meal discussing the validity of different Quidditch strategies, and Queenie would add her opinion every once in a while. By the time they were all finished eating, Zoe was confident that they would win the upcoming game.

 

* * *

 

The school year had only been going for a few months, but Zoe was pleased at how everything was falling into place. She felt like she had a routine down, her classes were going well, and the Quidditch season was in full swing.

“Miss Benson? Do you mind sticking around for a moment?” Professor Cordelia Goode’s voice cut through the chatter of students packing up their things after Potions. Queenie shot Zoe a look before exiting the classroom with all the other students.

Zoe walked over to where Professor Goode was standing, slightly nervous about why the professor wanted to speak with her. Her marks had been fine, she wasn’t falling asleep in class, and she always tried her hardest.

“Is something wrong, Professor?” she asked hesitantly.

“No, no, quite the opposite. You have been doing very well in class, so I was hoping you could do something for me. There is another student who has been skipping class and her grades are slipping. I thought it would be a good idea for you to work with her a bit, both as partners in class and as a study helper outside of class. What do you think?”

“O-okay,” Zoe stuttered, surprised by the request. Potions wasn’t her very best class, but she did just fine. Plus, Professor Goode knew what she was doing, and if that was what she wanted, Zoe was willing to try it.

“Good. I will get things set up, but it might be a good idea for you to reach out to Miss Montgomery to see when works well for you two to meet outside of class.”

Zoe’s eyebrows shot up and she couldn’t hide the surprised expression on her face. She should have known, as Madison was pretty much the only one who skipped on a regular basis, but she hadn’t put two and two together.

If she was being perfectly honest, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to do this. Madison was always making snarky comments, and as much as Zoe had a weird fascination with her, Madison could be kind of inappropriate.

“Don’t worry,” Professor Goode continued. “I know Miss Montgomery can be… difficult, but I truly think you can help her.”

Zoe swallowed hard, but she put a brave expression on.

“I won’t let you down, Professor.”

 

* * *

 

Zoe groaned loudly as smoke started curling from the cauldron. That definitely wasn’t supposed to happen, especially with such a simple potion.

Gripping her Alder wand tightly, Zoe attempted to salvage the potion, but it seemed like the potion was beyond saving. The cauldron started sizzling and melting, and the potion that had been inside gushed out, covering the table and the floor.

“Well, looks like someone didn’t follow the directions,” Madison said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “You know, I thought you were more than just a pretty face and a nice ass, but I guess I was wrong.”

“Madison!” Zoe exclaimed. “That was you! I told you that you needed to pay more attention!”

“Whatever. It’s not like it matters. Oh, good, looks like we’ll be spending some time in detention together,” Madison scoffed as the professor dismissed the rest of the class. Zoe simply glared at Madison.

“What on Earth happened here?” Professor Goode asked with a concerned expression on her face.

“I’m so sorry, Professor. I’m not sure what happened. I should have been paying more attention,” Zoe said, trying to downplay the damage. After all, she was supposed to be helping Madison with the class. “We’ll clean all of this up.”

Madison looked surprised that Zoe hadn’t thrown her under the bus, and she had the decency to at least act like she was a little sorry.

“I’ll make sure to keep a closer eye on her next time,” Madison said, which was probably as close to an apology as they would ever get.

Professor Goode took a deep breath, staring the two of them down.

“I’m sure you will both make sure it doesn’t happen again. Please, try to be more careful next time.”

As she walked away, Zoe turned to Madison. Before she could say anything, Madison interjected.

“I’m not cleaning this up.”

“Really? You made this mess, so you’re going to help clean it up. And, really, you’re going to keep a closer eye on me next time? I honestly don’t know why I bother trying to help you,” Zoe huffed, gathering the things that could be salvaged and tossing them violently to the side.

Madison quickly cast Scourgify before gathering her things.

“I don’t either,” she whispered as she walked out the door.

Zoe had barely caught what Madison said, and she wasn’t sure that she was supposed to. Either way, Zoe finished tidying up the rest of the mess before walking out of the classroom, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do with Madison next.

 

* * *

 

The castle was decorated so beautifully, and there was a widespread feeling of excitement everywhere Zoe went. All of the classes had finished before the holiday, which meant the students were milling around, avoiding packing before the Hogwarts Express left to bring them home for the holidays.

Though she missed her family while she was at school, Zoe wasn’t going home for the holidays. There was no magic at home, and though they were still family, she couldn’t deny that there was a wedge that had been driven between them when she first found out about everything that her mother had kept from her. She still got to spend plenty of time at home during the summer, and that was plenty for her.

As a result, Zoe was currently curled up in a corner of the library, doing some reading for fun. She knew that most people wouldn’t exactly call her choice of book ‘fun,’ but she was enjoying it.

“Hey, thought I’d find you here,” Nan said, plopping down in the chair next to her.

“Are you calling me boring?” Zoe asked, not looking away from her book.

“Well, you’re predictable. But I’d know even if you weren’t predictable.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Zoe sighed, marking her page carefully and closing her book. “Hey, don’t you have to leave soon?”

“Yeah, but I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to you first. And I wanted to remind you to keep out of trouble while we’re gone. You always seem to find trouble when we’re not around.”

“It’s not my fault,” Zoe protested. “Trouble just finds me.”

“Yeah, and Trouble is blonde,” Nan muttered under her breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Have a happy Christmas!” Nan said, skipping away happily.

Zoe shook her head in disbelief, wondering how she ended up with such weird friends. She loved them all, but they were definitely a bit odd sometimes, even for witches.

Queenie had already said goodbye, and so had Coco and Mallory, who were spending the holidays together. Zoe had been invited to spend the break with a couple of them, but she had decided to stay at Hogwarts, even if none of her friends were staying. It wasn’t the first year this had happened, and she was pretty sure it wouldn’t be the last.

Opening her book again, Zoe let herself get lost in the words. She read until she got so hungry that she couldn’t ignore it, and only then did she let herself leave her sanctuary in the library.

 

* * *

 

The holidays were treating Zoe very well. She wasn’t letting herself worry about her classes or revisions, so she was enjoying having time to herself. One morning, she went out to the Quidditch pitch and flew around until she couldn’t feel her hands, but she decided it was too cold to spend much time outside.

Her time was mostly divided between the common room and the library, and she let the hours slip away as she immersed herself in books. It was even quieter than usual in the library, as most of the students were gone, and those who remained had much better things to do than hang out in the library.

One morning, though, Zoe was walking through the shelves, looking for a new book to start, when she heard someone flipping through a book. She followed the noise and peeked around the corner, trying to be sneaky. After all, she wouldn’t want to bother a fellow reader.

To her surprise, she saw Madison sitting and poring over a book with a stack of textbooks next to her. It really shocked her, especially since she didn’t think Madison actually cared about her grades, particularly after the incident in Potions not too long ago.

She was also surprised because she would have thought that Madison would have been the first one on the train home, not staying at Hogwarts over the holidays. Everyone knew that Madison lived in a huge mansion and that she had everything that anyone could possibly want.

Before Zoe could sneak away to her spot, Madison looked up, right at Zoe’s face.

“What do you want?” Madison spat, but there was no venom in her voice.

“I didn’t know anyone else was here,” Zoe replied lamely. “I was just looking for something else to read.”

“You would.”

“Well, what about you? What are you doing here?”

“None of your business,” Madison said, glaring at Zoe as she walked closer.

“Are you studying? I could help if you wanted.”

“I thought you’d be done with me,” Madison said, slamming her book shut.

“I mean, if you’re willing to try a little bit, then I can too,” Zoe gave Madison a small smile.

Madison simply shrugged, but she opened her book again.

“So, why are you staying here anyway? I thought you couldn’t wait to get out of here? Don’t you want to get back to your mansion?”

“Again, none of your business. But if you must know, my parents are off seeing the world again, which is so boring.”

Madison’s tone was guarded, and if Zoe had to guess, she would say that there was more to the story than Madison was saying, but they didn’t know each other well enough for Zoe to push the issue further.

“What about you? Didn’t want to go back to your perfect family?”

“I’d rather be here right now. Besides, this is the perfect time to read without people or classes to worry about.” Zoe paused, biting her lip. “If you want, I’ll meet you back here tomorrow, same time. We can go over some class stuff.”

All she got in response was a shrug and a noncommittal grunt, but she wasn’t expecting anything different. Maybe she would still be able to fulfill Professor Goode’s request of helping Madison, even if she had thought that all hope was lost.

 

* * *

 

The holidays were over, but the happy feeling that had taken over Zoe during the break remained. Zoe had gotten many things accomplished over the break, and she felt ready for the next months of classes, Quidditch, and life in general.

Surprisingly enough, Zoe and Madison had been meeting up frequently since their chance meeting in the library over the holidays. Zoe was finding that Madison was actually a lot smarter than people ever gave her credit for. They had made a lot of progress, and things seemed like they were starting to click with the blonde.

Everyone gave her a hard time about spending time with Madison, but Zoe was realizing more and more that there was much more to the Slytherin than met the eye, and she wanted to know more. Plus, she kept telling her friends that Professor Goode had asked her to help Madison, which wasn’t exactly a lie.

On one of her afternoons off from classes, helping Madison, and Quidditch, Zoe found herself hanging out with Nan, Queenie, Mallory, and Coco. They hadn’t been able to spend much time together after the break, so they had made sure to clear their schedules to hang out.

During a game of Exploding Snap, the girls were discussing their holidays. Nan had spent most of her time with Luke, a boy from home, and she seemed content with that. Queenie said that her break was boring, but the smirk on her face made her think that something more exciting had happened too.

Before she could ask, Queenie changed the focus of the conversation to Coco and Mallory.

“So, what did you two get up to? I know it must have been more exciting than what the rest of us did put together.”

“Well, Coco’s family flew us to a tropical island. It was so beautiful, and it was so amazing to see Coco’s family again. I even got Christmas presents from them!” Mallory answered, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Of course, that would happen to you,” Queenie grumbled under her breath, but Zoe knew that Queenie was actually really happy for their friend. Mallory’s parents had disowned her when they found out that she was a witch, going as far to call her a devil worshipper. Luckily, Coco’s family had taken her in and always included her in their family gatherings, saying it was the least they could do for Coco’s best friend.

“It was amazing,” Coco agreed, squeezing Malloy’s hand. “What about you, Zoe?”

“I didn’t do much. I spent most of my time in the library.”

“Did you see any blonde Slytherins?” Nan asked, smirking.

“Nan!” Zoe protested. She wasn’t really sure when Nan’s preoccupation with Zoe and Madison had started, but Nan made sure to bring it up frequently. “Fine, if it’s so important, yes, I did spend some time with Madison, but we just studied together, nothing more.”

“Studying, right,” Queenie chuckled, and Zoe pushed her over.

 

* * *

 

Even though she was a fourth year, Zoe still got such a thrill from exploring the castle. Though it didn’t happen often, every once in a while, she stumbled upon a corridor or stairway that she hadn’t ever seen before.

One day, she was walking down one such hallway when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see a painting of a witch sitting under a tree. As she walked closer to inspect the painting, the witch in the painting waved at her.

“Hello,” Zoe greeted.

“Hello,” the painting responded. “It has been such a dreadfully long time since anyone has come to visit me. Have you come to chat?”

That hadn’t been Zoe’s intention, but she felt bad for the witch, so she nodded.

“Oh, how wonderful! I am Isabella. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

“Zoe.”

“Hello, Zoe. Do you have any stories for me?”

“What kind of stories?”

“Ooh, any love stories? Do you have a boyfriend?”

Zoe’s face immediately turned bright red.

“No, no boyfriend. Or girlfriend.”

“Anyone you have your eye on?” Isabella asked, not skipping a beat.

If it was possible, Zoe’s face got even redder. Why were her thoughts focused on Madison? It wasn’t like they were even friends. Zoe was just helping her study. It didn’t matter that Zoe found her attractive, or that she spent more time than she probably should thinking about the blonde.

“I mean, not really.”

“Ah, I hear a fib. Come on, you can tell me,” Isabella wheedled.

“Well, there’s this one girl, but we’re not- I mean, she barely knows I exist. Plus, she isn’t always very nice.”

“And what is this girl’s name?”

Zoe was so embarrassed that she wanted to sink through the floor, but she wasn’t about to be so rude as to walk away, even if she was only talking to a painting.

“Madison,” she whispered, chewing on her lip.

“So why haven’t you done anything about this Madison?”

“I don’t think she even likes girls, but if she did, she wouldn’t like me.”

“What a conundrum,” Isabella said, sitting back down under the tree. “Well, if anything happens, make sure to come tell me.”

Zoe sensed that their conversation was over, so she walked back to the common room, thinking over the revelation she had just had.

Could she really like Madison?

 

* * *

 

“What is your problem?”

Zoe looked up, startled, as Madison’s voice cut loudly through the peace of the library.

“What?” Zoe asked, confused.

Before she could ask more, the librarian poked her head around the corner and gave the two of them an evil glare. Zoe could tell that Madison was about to explode, so she grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the library before they got detention.

“Let go of me! What is wrong with you?” Madison shrieked, but luckily, they had been really close to the door, so she didn’t disturb anyone else. Zoe pulled them into a secluded corner, looking around to make sure there was no one in sight.

“What are you talking about, Madison?”

“What the hell do you mean? What, you had to go and tell a painting that you have a crush on me? Paintings are even worse gossipers than me, and that’s saying something. What if someone else had found out?”

Zoe wanted to disappear. Like usual, her face turned beet red, and she couldn’t come up with any words to respond.

“Um- uh…”

“Well, is it true?” Madison demanded, staring Zoe down.

All Zoe could do is nod in response, but if her feet hadn’t been frozen, she probably would have run far, far away.

Before she knew what was happening, Madison had turned around and fled down the hallway. Zoe felt a gnawing pit of anxiety in her stomach, and she almost started crying. Why had this happened? Now Madison was going to hate her and tell everyone in the school (and probably world) how horrible and twisted Zoe was.

Zoe didn’t even bother collecting her things from the library, instead trudging back to her dormitory and collapsing on her bed, drawing the curtains shut in an attempt to shut the world out.

 

* * *

 

Zoe wanted to stay in bed forever, but of course, her friends hadn’t allowed that. Queenie and Mallory, her fellow Gryffindors, dragged her out of bed and to breakfast the next morning. Coco had collected her things from the library when she had heard what had happened, and Nan offered a rare moment of silence for the girl.

Potions was the absolute last class Zoe wanted to go to, since she would be faced to confront Madison, but she made herself go. Actually, in reality, Queenie had forced her to go, but Zoe didn’t put up too much of a fight.

To her relief, Madison was not in the classroom when Zoe and Queenie entered. Zoe sat in her normal spot and waited, but Madison never entered the classroom. Professor Goode shot her a few concerned looks, but Zoe brushed them off.

At the end of class, Zoe gathered her things and bolted out the door, dodging both Queenie and Professor Goode.

She ran to the Quidditch pitch, getting in the air as quickly as possible. Her worries weren’t gone, not by a long shot, but the air rushing past her face was helping her think.

Why had she told that painting anything? Why did she have to be so stupid? Would Madison ever look at her the same way again? She screamed, letting the noise evaporate in the openness of the field.

Zoe had lost track of how much time she had spent in the air, but she knew that she had to come down eventually. As she landed, she spotted a figure walking up to her.

“What do you want?” she asked guardedly as she recognized the figure.

“I just want to talk,” Madison said, stopping in front of Zoe.

“I think you’ve made your feelings clear,” Zoe said, turning away.

“No, I haven’t,” Madison said desperately, catching Zoe’s hand. “Please.”

Zoe didn’t think she had ever heard Madison use the word please before.

“Fine,” she said, dragging her into the deserted Quidditch dressing room.

“Listen, Zoe. This is very… complicated.”

“What’s complicated?”

“My life. My feelings.”

“You mean you don’t hate me?”

“Zoe, you don’t get it. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t do this.”

“Why not?”

“I have to keep up appearances. I have to be the perfect daughter. I could never…” Madison cut off, voice wavering.

“Why does that matter? So what if your parents don’t approve? Your happiness means more than that.”

“No, it doesn’t. My happiness has never mattered. All that matters is keeping up appearances and keeping our reputation spotless. My parents… well, I just can’t go there.”

“Madi,” Zoe whispered, tears springing to her eyes. She had never heard the blonde so exposed.

“I’m sorry, Zoe,” Madison, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “I can’t do this.”

Zoe touched her lips, staring at Madison as she walked away. She was completely taken aback by Madison’s unexpected gesture, especially after everything she had said.

 

* * *

 

“How long are you going to keep moping?” Nan asked loudly, settling in the chair next to Zoe’s.

“What?”

“I said, how long are you going to mope around?”

“I- I’m not!” Zoe said, but there was no fight behind her words.

“Right,” Queenie drawled. “And I’m the Queen of England.”

Zoe didn’t bother responding, instead staring straight at the Professor as class started. None of the words made it into her head, as she was too busy replaying her last few interactions with Madison.

She had thought that she had completely screwed everything up, but Madison had reacted much differently than she had expected. Madison had seemed so hopeless when they had been talking about her parents and her happiness, and it had broken Zoe’s heart. Madison had even said something that made Zoe think she liked Zoe too, but she said she couldn’t do it.

Then, the most surprising thing had happened. Madison had kissed Zoe. It hadn’t been anything big, but it seemed like the possibility of more. If circumstances had been different, she would have said it was the promise of something more.

Zoe broke out of her daze when she felt Nan’s elbow dig into her side.

“Miss Benson?”

Panicking for a moment, Zoe realized that she had absolutely no idea what was going on or what she had been asked. Luckily, as always, Nan had her back. Zoe discreetly looked down at the scrap of parchment Nan had written the answer down on and answered the professor.

“Very good, Miss Benson. Five points to Gryffindor.”

“I owe you one,” Zoe mouthed, looked over at Nan.

“Damn right,” Nan mouthed back, smiling.

Clearly, Zoe needed to get her feelings about Madison sorted out sooner than later, but she didn’t know how to start. She resolved to talk to Madison again, hoping that the Slytherin wouldn’t run away from her the moment she got close.

 

* * *

 

Though Madison let out a shriek when Zoe pulled her into an abandoned classroom, she didn’t try to escape once she saw that it was Zoe.

“We need to talk,” Zoe said firmly.

“I already told you everything I have to say about this,” Madison scoffed, crossing her arms.

“I don’t accept that.”

“Well, deal with it,” Madison said, trying to brush past Zoe.

“No. I know we don’t know each other that well, but don’t you feel it? There’s something there, and it’s worth chasing. I’m not going to let you go that easily. And you deserve your chance at happiness as much as everyone else.”

“Zoe.”

“What?”

“I feel it too. I want to see where this goes, but it’s not fair to you. I don’t deserve this chance. I can’t screw you up too.”

“I don’t care about that. It’s my choice. Please, take this chance.”

Madison spent a long moment studying Zoe before leaning forward to capture the girl’s lips in a kiss. It was nothing like their first kiss, but Zoe couldn’t focus on anything except for the feeling of Madison. Zoe felt like the kiss lasted forever, but she felt like it was way too short when they finally broke apart.

Breaking the silence that lingered, Madison spoke first.

“Fine. Will you go on a date with me?”

“But you said-”

“I know what I said, but I don’t care anymore. I can’t hide for my whole life, so why not let myself have this?”

“We don’t have to tell anyone,” Zoe whispered, stepping closer to Madison.

“I don’t want to hide you.”

“Why don’t we just take things slow to start?”

Though Madison didn’t say anything, Zoe could tell that she relaxed slightly when Zoe suggested that. If Madison’s family was anything like the stories Zoe had heard or like Madison had hinted at, it was probably best to not tell everyone right away. Plus, this was all still new to Zoe too.

All she knew for the moment was that she and Madison had a chance, and that filled her with hope and happiness.

 

* * *

 

True to their word, Zoe and Madison had been taking their relationship slowly. They were spending a lot more time together, but they hadn’t told anyone about them yet. Zoe had a sneaking suspicion that Nan knew, since Nan seemed to know everything, but she hadn’t brought it up yet.

Whatever the case, Zoe was just enjoying getting to know Madison better. There was so much more to the Slytherin than people thought, and Zoe was fascinated. A lot of students seemed to think that they knew everything there was to know about Madison, since she was famous and since she was a Slytherin, but wasn’t the case at all.

Madison was actually quite adept at magic, and she had a certain flair for tricky spells. She had a black cat named Ember, she would never admit it, but she loved flying, she had an elm wand, and she knew a lot about the history of Hogwarts.

After she had finished eating one evening, Zoe tracked Madison to the library. Madison didn’t seem to go to many meals in the Great Hall, which sometimes made it hard for Zoe to find her, but a lot of the time, she was in the library.

“Hey! You weren’t at dinner.”

“Oh, is it already that time?” Madison asked unconvincingly, looking down at her book.

“Yes. Did you at least finish your Herbology essay? I haven’t yet.”

“I finished it, but knowing Professor Day, she’s going to knock me down a few points for absolutely nothing.”

“Maybe if you didn’t insult her methods in the essay, she would be a little nicer with the grading.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Madison rolled her eyes.

“Just saying. Besides, if you get good grades right away, she won’t ask to see you after class, which means you won’t have to deal with her as much. I don’t get your problem with her though. She’s so nice!”

“She’s too nice. And she has horrible taste in music.”

“Okay, fine. Just move your stuff so I can sit down,” Zoe said, digging out her books and quill.

 

* * *

 

After a few hours studying with Zoe, Madison started packing up her books.

“Well, I’m almost done here. Want to go for a walk?”

Walking through the castle was a good way to avoid the prying eyes that tended to collect when they stayed too long in one location.

“Sure.”

The girls walked out of the library and toward one of the emptier parts of the castle. They let themselves get lost in the latest gossip of the day, but all of a sudden, something just felt different. They had walked far enough that there weren’t any other people around, and they were in a dark and twisty part of the castle. Zoe stopped, spooked.

“What’s wrong?” Madison immediately asked, eyes first searching Zoe’s face, then the corridor and corner in front of them.

“I thought I heard something,” Zoe said quietly, inching backwards.

Instead of retreating, Madison quickly looked around the corner they had been approaching. Zoe couldn’t see what was around the corner, but she saw Madison absolutely freeze. Madison turned even paler than usual, and Zoe could see a subtle shake in her hands.

Quickly making her way over to Madison, Zoe was very confused. At first, all she saw was a man walking towards them. Granted, the man looked extremely intimidating and had a belt in his hand, but Zoe wasn’t sure why he had elicited such a reaction from Madison.

Looking back at the man, Zoe was shocked to see that he was gone. Instead, Madison was on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood.

“No!” Zoe shouted, and suddenly, it was Nan, then Queenie, then Mallory on the ground, similarly injured.

“It’s a boggart,” Madison whispered, finally seeming to have snapped out of whatever had hold of her before.

Rationally, Zoe knew Madison was probably right, but it didn’t make her any more capable of dealing with it at the moment. Madison stepped forward. Mallory disappeared from the floor, and the man reappeared.

“Riddikulus!” Madison shouted, and the belt in the man’s hand turned into a balloon animal. Unfortunately, it didn’t get rid of him completely. Zoe joined Madison, and that seemed to confuse the boggart. Instead of Zoe’s friends on the floor surrounded by blood, it was the man bleeding.

Madison and Zoe both cast the Riddikulus charm again, and after a bit of slightly forced laughter, the boggart disappeared.

Sinking down the nearest wall to sit on the ground, Zoe let herself catch her breath. She hated boggarts. Seeing her friends like that had been so hard for her, but it hadn’t been real. Being so caught up in her thoughts, she finally realized that she hadn’t checked in with Madison.

“Mads? Who was that?”

“No one important. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Please, tell me who that was,” Zoe begged, lacing her fingers through Madison’s. Madison jerked like she was about to pull away, but she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and squeezed Zoe’s hand.

“My father. I’m getting tired, so I think I’m just going to head to bed,” Madison said, abruptly changing the subject and walking away.

Zoe just stared after her, too surprised to follow.

 

* * *

 

Zoe thought things might be weird after the terrifying encounter she and Madison had with the boggart, but to her surprise, Madison acted like nothing had happened the next time she saw Zoe. Zoe still wondered what everything that had happened that night meant, but she was willing to wait until Madison wanted to tell her about everything.

Madison usually didn’t spend much time with anyone other than Zoe, but Zoe was glad to see that Madison would come and sit with her and her friends more and more as time passed. For instance, Zoe and Nan had been playing Wizard’s Chess in the Great Hall one afternoon with Queenie, Mallory, and Coco sitting with them, and Madison had come to join them.

To their credit, Zoe’s friends were pretty welcoming. Queenie was a bit suspicious of the Slytherin and Nan was sassy to Madison (though, truly, she was sassy to everyone). Coco and Mallory had been a bit guarded at the beginning, but once they saw that she wasn’t there for any mean purpose, they welcomed her with open arms.

Zoe and Madison were just acting like they had become friends studying together and being partners in Potions, but they didn’t know how long they could pull that off.

“Not again!” Zoe groaned as one of Nan’s pieces smashed one of hers. “I give up. I can’t beat you. It’s like you always know what I’m thinking.”

Nan smirked, holding out her hand.

“Pay up, bitch!”

Zoe could see all of her friends laughing, but all she could focus on was the laugh that had escaped Madison.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Zoe, do you have a second?” Mallory asked, stepping out to intercept Zoe as the older girl was exiting the Gryffindor common room.

“Sure, Mallory. I was just headed to the library if you want to walk with me.”

Zoe gave Mallory a smile. Even though they were a year apart, Mallory was one of her best friends at Hogwarts. She had managed to win Zoe over right away, and Zoe always had fun playing Quidditch, studying, or just talking with the girl.

As they set off in the direction of the library, they began a deep discussion about Quidditch strategies. Unfortunately for the girls, they ran into Peeves, who was cackling and hooting even more than usual. He was holding a number of water balloons, which he quickly threw at Mallory and Zoe.

Dripping wet and furious, Zoe opened her mouth to yell at Peeves, but before she had the chance, he melted through the wall.

“Ugh, damn ghost,” she grumbled, wringing water from her hair.

Mallory didn’t seem particularly pleased either, but she quickly waved her fir wand in the air, casting the hot air charm on the two of them. Zoe smiled gratefully as she dried off quickly.

“Sometimes I forget we can do things like that,” she admitted sheepishly. “You’d think it wouldn’t surprise me after all this time, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop being amazed by magic.”

Zoe jumped as she felt someone come up behind her.

“And that’s what makes you so adorable,” Madison whispered in her ear, quickly stepping away. Zoe blushed furiously, but she tried to school her expression so Mallory wouldn’t get suspicious.

“Hello, Madison,” Mallory greeted, looking between the two girls. “I should probably make sure all my papers are okay after our Peeves encounter. See you later, Zoe.”

“See you,” Zoe stuttered out, still blushing. If her friends hadn’t been suspicious before, they definitely would be now. Zoe had no doubts that Mallory would go straight to Coco, Queenie, and Nan to tell them all about the encounter she had just witnessed.

“Hey, I thought I was the only one who made you wet,” Madison said, smirking as Zoe’s mouth dropped wide open.

 

* * *

 

“You know, when I asked you on a date, I was just going to take you to Hogsmeade. This is so much more trouble.”

“Well, it’s not like I knew they were going to cancel this Hogsmeade weekend,” Zoe sighed. “Why don’t we just go to the next Quidditch game I’m not playing in?”

“No way. You always end up analyzing everything and getting way too into it. I mean, it is kind of hot to see you so worked up, but it’s definitely not a date destination.”

“I’m not that bad!”

“Yes, you are. Maybe I should just spend the night showing you my lingerie collection?”

“Madison!”

“Fine, how about going up to the astronomy tower on a night there aren’t classes?”

“Madison! We can’t sneak around after curfew! We could get in trouble!”

“Oh, please. That is one of the least problematic things we could do. I’ve done much worse stuff already.”

“I don’t even want to know,” Zoe said, clapping her hands over her ears.

“Fine, fine. But our date can’t be boring. You already spend way too much time in the library.”

“You spend almost as much time in the library as I do!”

“That’s only because you’re there. Seriously, you think I want to waste that much of my life in a library? The only reason I started going there so much was because I always saw you there, which meant I could stare at you as much as I wanted,” Madison admitted, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger.

“What?”

“Yep. I just got lucky that Professor Goode partnered us together and that I didn’t scare you off right away.”

“I almost told her I couldn’t do it anymore once you melted the cauldron. I’m really glad I didn’t, though.”

“Me too. Now, keep thinking. Our date is not going to be a flop just because some idiot decided we couldn’t go to Hogsmeade.”

“Madison, they had to take care of the infestation. It’s not like they just decided we couldn’t go because they don’t want us to.”

“Whatever. They better take care of it fast, or they’ll have another problem.”

“Madison!”

 

* * *

 

“What time is it?” Zoe asked frantically, sitting up quickly.

“Who cares?” Madison responded, trying to pull Zoe back down.

“We’re going to be late to Duelling Club!” Zoe gasped, looking at the time. “Hurry up, we need to go!”

“Geez, calm down. It’s not that big of a deal. Wouldn’t you have more fun staying here with me?”

“Everyone is waiting for us! If we don’t show up on time, they’ll know something is up.”

Zoe and Madison had succeeded in keeping their relationship a secret up to that point, but Zoe knew her friends suspected something was up.

“It wouldn’t be the worst thing,” Madison whispered, pulling Zoe down for a kiss.

“I know, but this isn’t really the time to discuss this,” Zoe said, reluctantly breaking away. “Now, hurry up!”

Zoe grabbed her tie, putting it on quickly. Making sure she had her wand and everything else she needed, she grabbed Madison’s hand and pulled her out of the room. The girls made their way to the club as quickly as they could, only arriving a few moments late.

Panting slightly, Zoe made her way over to where Mallory, Coco, Queenie, and Nan were standing, still pulling Madison with her.

“Hey, guys,” Zoe greeted. When the only response she received were giggles from Mallory and Nan, a blush from Coco, and a dumbfounded look from Queenie, she furrowed her brow. “What?”

“I know you get intense during Quidditch games, but I didn’t realize you took on enough of the other Slytherin qualities to switch houses,” Mallory said, smirking. The others giggled again, which was starting to annoy Zoe.

“What are you talking about?” Zoe whispered. The club had officially started, so she wasn’t able to interrogate Mallory as much as she wanted.

As soon as the professor turned them loose to practice, Zoe turned on Mallory again.

“Explain.”

“Nothing!” Mallory said, raising her wand as if to ward off an advancing Zoe.

“Seriously? Anyone else want to tell me? No?”

Madison looked confused for a moment, then surprised.

“Zo?”

“Not now. They’re going to tell me what’s going on.”

Madison looked annoyed for a second, but exchanged looks with Coco and let it go without arguing.

“Queenie, do I have to beat you in a duel for you to tell me?” Zoe asked.

“You know, ebony wands are good for dueling, especially when I’m the witch in charge!” Queenie said, brandishing her wand.

“Bring it on,” Zoe challenged.

Once both spells had been cast, Zoe was holding both her wand and Queenie’s, having cast the disarming charm.

“Ha! Now you have to tell me!”

“Look down, dummy,” Nan chimed in.

“What do you mean?”

“Your tie,” Coco stage-whispered.

Zoe thought that she had blushed more in the time she had known Madison than in the rest of her life put together. She turned bright red once more, hands flying up to take her tie off. Or, more accurately, her hands flew up to take Madison’s Slytherin tie off.

“I tried to tell you, babe,” Madison said. “You were too busy trying to bully your friends into telling you what was going on.”

Zoe’s face turned a shade redder.

“Here,” she mumbled, handing Madison’s tie back to her.

“So, anything you bitches finally want to tell us?” Nan asked, smirking while everyone laughed.

 

* * *

 

Startling awake, Zoe glanced around quickly. At first, she didn’t see what had cause her to wake up, but after a few moments, she saw the moon illuminate a figure moving closer to her.

Being in the Hospital Wing overnight was weird in general, but it was even more disconcerting because there was someone moving around in the middle of the night with no explanation. As the figure grew closer, Zoe held her breath. She stared at the figure for a few long moments before recognition hit her.

“Madi! What have I told you about sneaking around after curfew?”

“Aren’t you glad I did it?”

“Well, yes, but that’s not the point.”

“How are you feeling?” Madison asked, ignoring Zoe’s dissatisfaction with her disregard for the rules.

“I’m fine. I told them I didn’t need to stay overnight.”

“Zoe. You were hit by two bludgers at once. How many bones did you break? No. You definitely need to be here, even if they were able to heal things quickly.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Zoe objected, but the words died on her lips as Madison glared at her.

“Do you have any idea how scared you made me?” Madison asked softly, sitting next to Zoe.

“Mads, I-”

“No. Let me get this out. You know I’m not always the best with feelings. You mean the world to me. Now I know that I don’t want to hide our relationship, since I don’t think I could exist without you. You give my life meaning. Before that, I was just numb and broken. Now, I feel whole. Please don’t pull any shit like this again. Please don’t leave me.”

“Madison, listen to me. I’m not going to leave you. You make me feel whole too. You’re so important to me.”

“Really?” Madison asked, looking deep into Zoe’s eyes.

“Really. Now get over here. I don’t want to be responsible for you sneaking around again, so I guess you’ll just have to stick around until it’s safe to leave.”

 

* * *

 

“Did you hear that?” Zoe asked, breathless, trying to pull away from Madison slightly. Madison wasn’t having any of it, and pushed Zoe back up against one of the glass panes of the greenhouse.

“You’re just imagining things. No one would come all the way back here,” Madison muttered, leaning in to leave kisses on Zoe’s neck.

Madison was probably right, but Zoe still couldn’t relax completely. They had run out of good spots to be alone together, so this was one of their impromptu creative options. Zoe hated the risk of being discovered by others, but it wasn’t like they were doing anything too bad. It was just embarrassing.

One day, Mallory and Coco had found them snogging in a corner, and while they were glad it had been their friends instead of anyone else, it had still taken a good day before Zoe wanted to look them in the eyes.

“Come on, it’s fine. Just calm down,” Madison said before recapturing Zoe’s lips in a passionate kiss.

A snapping twig and the sound of voices caught Zoe’s attention again, and this time she wasn’t imagining anything. Before either girl had a chance to react, the voices they had heard were directed at them, and they didn’t sound happy.

“Miss Montgomery! Miss Benson! What do you think you’re doing?”

Springing apart, Zoe tried to calm her breathing as she saw Madison run a hand through her hair. Zoe’s fear had been realized as Professors Goode and Day had caught them in a semi-compromising position.

“Professors! We, um…” Zoe stuttered, unable to form any sort of coherent thought.

“We’ll just be leaving now,” Madison attempted to recover, grabbing Zoe by the wrist and starting to walk away.

“Not so fast, girls,” Professor Goode said.

“Just what do you think my greenhouses are for?” Professor Day asked, seeming put off by the fact that her greenhouse had been an accessory to the crime.

“We’re so sorry,” Zoe apologized, trying to convey how sincere she was. “I promise, you’ll never have to see this again.”

“We’d better not,” Professor Day said, eyeing the two girls.

“Ten points from each of you. And, please, don’t let this happen again,” Professor Goode added, stepping back to let them go.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be more careful,” Madison called over her shoulder as she pulled Zoe away with her.

“Madison!” Zoe hissed. “We promise it won’t happen again. Sorry!” she added, following Madison closely.

After they had made it inside the castle, the girls stopped to catch their breath.

“I told you I heard something!”

“You always say you hear something! How was I supposed to know that there was actually someone there this time?”

“This is so bad,” Zoe muttered.

“It’s not that bad. We’ll just have to be more careful,” Madison soothed, leaning in to kiss Zoe.

“Madison! After we just got caught?” Zoe asked, pulling away.

“Oh, come on.”

Madison pouted for a moment, but smiled when Zoe gave in and kissed her quickly on the cheek.

“As long as I’ve got you, nothing else matters.”

**Author's Note:**

> I mentioned some of them briefly, but each character has a wand wood that was selected for them specifically. You can check out the significance of each on Pottermore!
> 
> Alder- Zoe  
> Elm- Madison  
> Ebony- Queenie  
> Silver Lime- Nan  
> English Oak- Misty  
> Rowan- Cordelia  
> Fir- Mallory  
> Larch- Coco


End file.
